Field
This field is generally related to network configuration.
Related Art
A communication network may, for example, provide a network connection that allows data to be transferred between two geographically remote locations. A network connection may span multiple links connecting communication devices such as routers. Networks may have different topologies depending on how the links are interconnected through the communication devices. Given a particular network topology, multiple routes may be available between a source and destination.
A service provider may configure a communication network to provide network services, such as a connectivity service. A service provider may maintain a connectivity service at a particular service level, such as a specific level of bandwidth, latency, or jitter. For example, a user may request an Ethernet connection between two of its locations with a bandwidth of 400 Mbit/second.
To configure a communication network to provide a network service, a provisioning server may send configuration messages to routing devices along the route of the network connection. The configuration messages may, for example, instruct the routing devices on how to route the data or of a service level to provide in transmitting from a particular user or through a service.
To add or make changes to a network service, a service provider network typically uses an inventory database. The inventory database tracks different users, their associated network services, and the routing devices used to provide the network services. When a new service is added to the inventory database, a provisioning server may push configuration messages to associated routing devices in the inventory database. When an existing service is modified, for example, to change a service level, the provisioning server may look to the inventory database to determine which routing devices to send messages to. In this way, a central provisioning server and inventory database typically determine which routing devices need to be configured.
While having a central provisioning server determine which routing devices to configure may have advantages, it can also create bottlenecks. It may cause delay in provisioning the service. Also, the routing devices may be heterogeneous and having the provisioning server configure a variety of different types of devices may lead to additional complexities.